The Last Jews with Agnes Jauy: “A film more relevant and necessary than ever”, to see at the cinema

The Last Jews with Agnes Jauy: “A film more relevant and necessary than ever”, to see at the cinema

In theaters on January 24, “The Last Jews” is Noah Debre’s first feature film. The experienced script artist has already signed the screenplays for Kim Chapiron’s La Crème de la crème, Romain Gavra’s Le Monde est à toi, Thomas Bidegain’s Les Cowboys or the recent La Vénus d’argent and L’Arche de Noé.

The genesis of the project

It was by watching a German short film, Mazeltov cocktailwhich was presented at the Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival which Noah Debre had an idea The last of the Jews.

Mazeltov cocktail is a comedy that tells the story of a young Russian Jew in Germany. An image from this film surprised the filmmaker: an image of a young man walking between public housing towers.

Noah Debre said that the story of Jews leaving working-class neighborhoods was not being told. “But I immediately thought that we should not make such a film, that it would be obscene, disturbing.

Then I told myself that if my short films were with the actor Michael Zindel, he would take me to a place of comedy and poetry that would allow me to deal with the complexity of the subject matter.” The director confides.

Revelation by Michael Zindel

Ruben Belisha, the main character The last of the Jews, played by Revelation’s Michael Zindel. Noah Debre met the young actor at the casting of the second short film:

“He’s a friend’s cousin. He said to me, ‘My cousin wants to be an actor, he’s struggling, don’t you want to see him?’The director explains.

The actor previously played supporting roles in Debre’s short films. This time, the filmmaker wanted to focus the film on him: “When the subject of ‘The Last Jew’ came up, it seemed clear to me that this was the role for him.

He is a real natural, but be careful, not only that, Michael is also a great actor, he really interprets the text. He also has a special voice, which I really like.”Clarified by Noé Debré.

A strong role for Agnès Jaoui

Noé Debré did not know Agnes Jaoui until she was cast as Giselle, Reuben’s mother. The director was very impressed with the actress and quickly thought of her as soon as the casting began.

According to the director, Agnes Jaoui played very little “Jewish stuff, so I knew it wasn’t going to be in common places, which I liked.”

“Then, I really believe in the comic presence of the actors: Agnes knows her clown and can do it. I didn’t want Michael Zindel to be the only comic presence and all the other characters to be there. To serve. Not juicy, every role has to be able to make me laugh.”he says.

A delicate context

The last of the Jews The film is released in a delicate geopolitical context following the October 7 attacks in Israel. For Agnes Jau, Noé Debré’s film is a must, despite the current very tense atmosphere.

“The Jewish exodus has been around for a long time. Almost 100,000 Jews left France because they felt unsafe. We are in a time where it is very difficult to talk to each other without being emotional. The discussion is difficult.”– explained the actor on the microphone BFM TV.

“We realized that if we waited for the end of anti-Semitism or the end of the war, we risked a long wait, and on the contrary, we should be able to talk and not be afraid, because everyone is afraid. Subjects, this is a carnage game!”Agnes Jaoui, whose family member is still being held hostage in Gaza, claims.

“I was never offered this type of role. And now they are offering it at a time when the most terrible war is starting between Israel and Palestine. And my family was affected… so there you have it, impossible. to keep quiet.”The 59-year-old artist confides.

A humanistic and conciliatory face

The production decided to hold the release of the film despite the current context, “Precisely because the film seems more relevant and necessary than ever. The Last of the Jews aims to take a humanistic view of the impossible situation we find ourselves in. Also a conciliatory look.”Noah Debre explains.

The director adds: “The Last Jew is the opposite of a film of identity or victimhood. It is a film that aims to resonate with something universal in us. The function of cinema and literature is to elevate us to an ideological understanding. The world.

I also hope that the film will allow us to talk together. That’s what cinema can be used for.”

Source: Allocine

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